Download our free, comprehensive 4-phase Due Diligence Checklist to protect your investment, avoid hidden legal traps, and navigate Italian red tape with confidence.

🔒 We respect your privacy. Zero spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Italian real estate bureaucracy is completely different from the US or UK. Having this exact checklist saved us thousands before signing our preliminary offer!”

— Sarah & Mark T., Property Buyers in Garfagnana

Why have we created this checklist?

Buying Real Estate in Italy is Exciting—But One Simple Oversight Can Cost Thousands.

In Italy, real estate agents represent the transaction, not strictly your interests. Crucially, once a Purchase Proposal (Proposta d’Acquisto) is accepted by the seller, it becomes a legally binding contract—often before a full technical inspection has taken place.

Without proper due diligence, buyers frequently face:

• ❌ Building alterations without planning permission (Difformità Edilizia): Unexpected fines or delays to legalise walls, terraces, or pools built without town hall permits.
• ❌ Neighbour Preemption Rights (Prelazione Agraria): Legal disputes where neighbouring active farmers can retroactively challenge rural land sales up to 1 year after purchase.
• ❌ Unclear Title Ownership: Multiple co-heirs who haven’t legally agreed to the sale terms.

What’s Inside the Free Checklist

This 2-page PDF guide breaks down the essential legal, technical, and financial verification into 4 simple phases:

• Phase 1: Urbanistic & Technical Due Diligence (The Geometra Audit)How to verify town hall permits, cadastral plans, habitability certificates, and system safety.
• Phase 2: Legal Ownership & Title SearchVerifying co-heirs, avoiding active agricultural pre-emption rights, and checking for hidden liens.
• Phase 3: Financial & Tax PreparationCalculating cadastral purchase taxes (2% vs. 9%), notary escrow accounts, and budgeting total purchase fees.
• Phase 4: Contractual Safeguards & SigningCrucial protective clauses to insert into your offer, understanding caparra confirmatoria, and translation requirements.

Created by Expats & Local Partners on the Ground

We’ve been in your shoes.

ExpatSOS was created by expats who went through the exact same process of buying and renovating a property in Tuscany. We combined our real-world experience with a trusted network of local geometri, notaries, and legal experts to give foreign buyers an independent, English-speaking advocate on the ground.